


The People of Aincrad - Akira

by MojavePatrol



Category: Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-24 01:08:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17091218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MojavePatrol/pseuds/MojavePatrol
Summary: The first entry in a series of intertwined stories following average people making a living in Aincrad. Rather than heroes who save hundreds of players daily, these people are just trying to survive in Sword Art Online.





	The People of Aincrad - Akira

   December 16th, 2023.

   Floor 49 - Myujen

 

    _Tink, tink, tink._ The sound of a hammer hitting an anvil soothed her. Every hit with the hammer took the stress away. Although she was happy to have left the real world, this one still worried her. Suddenly, the Crystallyte bar she was hitting began to morph into something entirely different. 

   'Wyverns Tail' was its name, a two-handed great sword. It had been ordered by a man yesterday, and he should be coming through to pick it up soon. Many people liked to come here for weapons and repairs, since her smithing skill was coming close to max level, and her prices were fair.

   The sound of a door shutting caught her attention, and she rushed out to meet the new customer. "Hello! Welcome to Akira's Forge! How may I help you?" Akira was a short woman - a little over five feet tall. The man at the counter stood around six feet tall, at least.

   "Yes, I left an order yesterday for a one-handed greatsword." The man seemed to be in a happy mood, judging by the way he spoke. "Oh, okay! I'll be right back." Akira was not very strong, as she had difficulty picking up the heavy sword. By the time she got it to the counter, her face was red, and she was breathing heavily. At the sight of this, the man had to hide his laughter.

   Akira reached under the desk and brought up a clipboard, with a form attached. Customers started breaking weapons and then blaming her for it, otherwise this wouldn't be required. Between her gasps for air, she managed to make out a few words. "Sign here, here and here." The man picked up a pen off of the counter and signed 'Erikson' three times. Akira knew many people, villagers and soldiers alike, but this name seemed to stand out.

Her train of thought was interrupted by a trade request from Erikson. She selected the sword, 'Wyverns Tail' and he selected thirty-five thousand Cor. It was a hefty price, but for a great sword of this quality, it was justified. The trade completed and Erikson made his way out the door, not before thanking Akira for her trouble.

   The satisfaction of the sale was ruined by the entrance of some unwanted guests. "Why, hello there, Akira! Quite busy today, huh?" Three men barged into the store, none of which were welcome there. "I told you before, you are banned from my property!" Akira had quite a booming voice when she yelled for such a small woman.

   "Now, don't you get too excited, little woman. You won't like what happens to the angsty ones." All three men turned their attention to the small blacksmith, and began unsheathing their weapons. They walked straight towards her and one grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into the forge.

   Akira tried slapping and yelling, but not much came from it. The other men began pillaging the weapons on display, not wasting a moment. "Akira, right? We like the fiesty ones, but I don't think the fiesty ones like us." Was this the end for her? It certainly seemed like it. These criminals didn't leave many loose ends behind, from the looks of it.

   The man began to lift her shirt, but he got a swift slap to his face for it. This time, however, he had a knife to her throat. "Oh, we are going to enjoy you." Right as he got her shirt off, a familiar face barged through the back door. "Get off of her, or I'll tear you to pieces, little man."

   When the man spun around with his dagger, Erikson didn't hesitate to shove his new great sword through his chest, swiftly ending the mans life. "Now, stay here. I'll be back in a moment." Akira followed his orders, and remained where she was, huddled in the corner.

   There was a brief moment of yelling in the other room, but it did not last long. Erikson returned shortly through the door, this time with a fresh cut on his face. "Are you okay? Did they, hurt-" his words were cut off by Akira running and hugging him, relieved to still be alive.

   She attempted to thank him, but between the adrenaline and the tears she didn't make out many words. "You should, uh, probably put your shirt back on." Akira instantly pushed herself off of him, trying to cover herself with one arm while simultaneously reaching for her shirt.

   She hid herself behind the furnace while she dressed, but by the time she peeked out, Erikson had already left the building. Akira ran out the back door, but only fresh footprints remained in the snow.


End file.
